FTC earn last-gasp draw against title holders Vipers

FTC fought back from five goals behind in the second half to earn a point against title holders Vipers.

The Norwegian side could not protect their lead until the end, as FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria scored twice in the last 50 seconds to take a point from the match as it ended 26:26.

This was Vipers’ second game in a row without a win, after Bietigheim stopped their 10-game winning streak last week.

GROUP A
FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (HUN) vs Vipers Kristiansand (NOR) 26:26 (12:14)

• no team has more draws, four, in the past two seasons than FTC, with three of those stalemates coming on their home court
• Vipers pulled a 6:2 run between the 28th and the 38th minutes thanks to a strong defensive display that forced turnovers from FTC that created what looked to be an unassailable five-goal lead, which they protected until the end of the match
• with eight goals, right back Anna Vyakhireva, who signed for Vipers this summer, had her best outing in the EHF Champions League Women since scoring 10 times for Rostov-Don in September 2020 against Krim
• Vipers’ goalkeeper, Katrine Lunde, one of the four players that have won the title six times in history, provided another excellent outing, saving 16 shots - a 39% saving efficiency
• the reigning champions have tied with Bietigheim and CSM Bucuresti in the standings, but have a game in hand, with the other two sides playing on Sunday in home matches

Vipers show signs of weakness

There were shades of a smaller-size collapse for FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria once again, as the Hungarian powerhouse looked totally out of their depth, like in the start of the match against Brest Bretagne Handball two rounds ago. However, Gabor Elek’s side learnt something from their losses in the first four matches of the season, and bounced back in superb fashion.

With 50 seconds to go in the match, the hosts were down two goals, but a penalty converted by Katrin Klujber, who is now the second-best scorer of the competition with 38 goals, and a fastbreak scored by Greta Marton, tied the game at 26:26.

While Anna Vyakhireva has scored eight goals in the match and Katrine Lunde starred with 16 saves, there is still something missing for the reigning champions, who have been showing signs of weakness at times, especially in crunch moments, which could prove problematic in their quest for a three-peat at the end of the season.